Mark Word, who started his design/build company Mark Word Design in 2003, was pretty jazzed by the Gratia Square and Orb planters we sent him. “Their pure geometries and large scale give them such a powerful presence in a space,” he explained. Inspiration for the square planter came from a friend’s gardening book from the 1950s: “I saw a photo of ligularia and aloes. I liked the way the sculptural aloes contrasted with the soft round leaves.” By chance he saw this combination again while at a nursery. “My memory was jolted by the sight an aloe a few steps from a group of ligularia (Ligularia tussilaginea or ‘jitsuko star’),” he explains. Aloes and ligularia have different watering requirements, so Word filled the pot is with fast-draining soil and will water frequently to accommodate both. He finished the pot with an old fashioned pelargonium (“Coho”) and a tiny chartreuse sedum (Sedum makinoi). “I opted for a reserved tone that offered a hint of color as a complement to the dark chocolate black.”